hardware woes - just venting!

Just thought I would share my trubbles of the past two days with regards to computer hardware...... let me set the scene.

currently got a week off work to install my new TFT/software to my system, for that I needed a new TV-out video card and a new mobo (one with AGP for the vid card). here lies the troubles!!!

.... went to the computer market sunday, purchased a nice Gigabyte mobo which I have used before, and a Geforce 2 TV-Out video card. Hand over the cash, go home, all is well...

Monday morning start ripping apart current system, lay out components for new system case - still havent tested purchased hardware, so decide to give it a test... rip off CPU and memory from old mobo, chuck on new mobo with the video - power up, nothing... (oh no me thinks!). play with jumpers a bit, reset the CMOS - all the usual stuff - nothing! so pull apart my home system to try that video card and its memory, still no go... so its a faulty mobo..

ring the supplier, cant replace it till three in the afternoon, its currently 11am so im a bit edgy having to wait sooo long.! take the mobo, prove it doesnt work, get a new ABIT motherboard and test it on the spot - great me thinks! On the drive home, check it out while parked at traffic lights, discover it has 4 USB sockets, compared to my home systems two.... hrm, what about put this new mobo in my home system, use the home systems mobo for the mp3car.... (uh oh, I smell trouble!)

so I get home and pull apart my home system for a second time, chuck in the new motherboard/memory/CPU/etc.... power it up, doesnt work!!! ugh! try other RAM/other CPU/other video again! still no go.... getting anoyed by this point, rip out the mobo, try it ONCE MORE on my work bench.... it works... hrm... must have shorted on something in the case.... CAREFULLY i install the mobo for a second time... this time it works... great! put my home system back together, hook it up, boot up... cool.

and onto the now mp3car "working" mobo and "working" CPU.... put it together with the existing mp3car system 64MB RAM..... and, you guessed it, doesnt work! ugh! getting VERY EDGY at this point, chuck CPU/memory onto the existing mp3car mobo.. it works, hrm..... try the new mobo again, doesnt work....

..... starting to get colorful with my language (!) finally rip apart my home system for a third time, try a stick of RAM from it on the mobo, works..... thus the 64MB of RAM that has worked without a flaw in my mp3car system for over a year now does not work with this new mobo!..... doh!

anyway, all is fine now... what should have been a 1/2 hour job turned into a full day epic! I often question myself why I decided to get into this crazy industry that is IT in the first place!!!!!